NC: Hello, I'm the Nostalgia Critic. I remember it so you don't have to. (nods, then looks rather awkward as he gestures toward a poster for A Goofy Movie that appears in the right corner) So why is this a thing now?

(The title for A Goofy Movie is shown, followed by footage of the film)

NC (vo): Don't get me wrong, I always enjoy 1995's A Goofy Movie fine, but somewhere in the past five or ten years, it's gone from that cute little movie to Disney cult status, garnering (a fan drawing of Max and Roxanne appears) fan art, (a t-shirt advertising the Powerline Stand Out World Tour '95 appears) merchandise, (footage of a reenactment of a scene in the movie is shown) reenactments, (a montage of various people cosplaying as the film's characters is shown) and too many cosplays to count. I stayed away from reviewing this movie for a while because I didn't really understand what all the fuss was about. But my fascination over this...fascination has finally gotten the best of me. What is it about this film that has left such an impact on so many people?

NC: Well, I'm finally gonna take a closer look to find out. Let's time travel back to the '90s with A Goofy Movie.

(Max eventually transforms into his father Goofy, causing Roxanne to scream as Goofy does his signature guffaw while lightning strikes)

NC: Wow. I don't know how you make Goofy's laugh scary, but you found a way.

(Max is shown waking up from his nightmare, before answering a Mickey Mouse phone in his room)

NC (vo): It's all just a dream, though, as Max answers his landline in-joke, telling his friend PJ to get ready for the big day.

(Goofy comes in, just as Max is putting his pants on)

Goofy: Mornin', son!

Max: Dad! (pulls his pants up)

NC (vo): His father Goofy, of course, embarrasses him every moment possible. But Max says "After Today", he'll be the coolest kid on the block.

(The film's first musical number, "After Today", is shown)

Chorus:(singing) After today, my brains'll be snoozing!

Max:(singing) If I don't faint, I'll be fine!

NC: As catchy as this song is, I have to ask...do all the dogs just live...

(Throughout the song, we are shown various kids and citizens of the town all appearing to be the same dog species)

NC (vo): ...in one neighborhood? They're the only animals I see in this town. Is there a class system?

NC: Are they the Lion King hyenas evolved from years later? (images of the hyenas, Mufasa and Simba from The Lion King are shown, along with the image of Mufasa saying "That's beyond our borders. You must never go there, Simba.") Film theory that shit!

NC (vo): It has to make sense than how a bus full of kids turns into a bus full of cheerleaders and then back into a bus full of kids.

Bus driver:(singing) I'm gonna sit on my butt.

NC: If you film it while complaining about movies, you can make a very good living that way.

(After the song, we see Max and his friend PJ meeting their other friend Bobby)

NC (vo): Sadly, we discover this movie's been infected by a Pauly Shore.

Bobby (Pauly Shore): Cheddar! (howls ecstatically) Cheddar whizzy!

NC:(imitates Pauly Shore) I was a thing!

NC (vo): He helps Max and PJ set up a prank during the school's last prep rally as...wait a minute. This is the '90s. Cue the adult authority figure who just doesn't understand!

NC:(hand on cheek) That should annoy me, but I'm just wondering what it means when a dog makes a dog sound. Remember when Goofy owned a cat? (An image of a photo showing Goofy being attacked by his pet cat Waffles from Goof Troop is shown) Is that like slavery?

NC (vo): Max also takes the opportunity to hit on Roxanne.

(Max, while lip-syncing to Powerline's song, moves closer to Roxanne, who's in the front row)

Powerline:(singing) There's nothin' that I wouldn't do if it was gettin' you to notice...I'm alive.

NC: You know, is it possible to make something so dated that it's actually timeless? This movie is really trying to say "yes".

(Max approaches Roxanne's front door, only to see a large, fat, scary and intimidating dog growling; he is Roxanne's father)

Max: Is Roxanne home?

(The father growls, until Roxanne comes out)

Roxanne: It's okay, Daddy. Max is a friend from school.

NC:(as Max, while cowering) Please call off your dad-dog.

NC (vo): Afraid she might find someone else, he makes up a lie, saying he's gonna be onstage at the Powerline concert because his dad knows him personally. Of course, he has no idea how to make this possible.

(While driving on the road, Goofy attempts to speak with a depressed Max)

Goofy: You think of a name, and I'll try to guess who it is. Man or woman?

Max:(sighs) Man.

Goofy:(thinks for a moment) Walt Disney!

Max: Right.

(A Photoshopped explosion suddenly occurs)

NC:(as Goofy, while mimicking driving a car and chuckling nervously) Did we just implode our universe for a minute? (Beat) Oh, well. (continues driving)

NC: Not gonna lie, this is kind of a weird direction. I surprisingly expected a little less goofiness out of A Goofy Movie.

NC (vo): They get trapped in the car as Bigfoot looks over their belongings.

(One of the belongings Bigfoot looks at is a pair of headphones, which are playing the song "Stayin' Alive" by Bee Gees. Bigfoot, listening to the song, begins chuckling and dancing)

NC: I know I should be laughing, but now I'm just wondering what the Bee Gees as dog people look like. (An image of the Bee Gees is shown, with Photoshopped dog heads pasted over them)

NC (vo): Max and Goofy start to bond over making food, though, as Goofy reminds Max of when he used to spell "Hi, Dad" in his alphabet soup.

Goofy: You used to spell things out using the letters, like...

Max: "Ambidextrous"?

Goofy: Little words, like...

Max: "Hasta la vista"?

Goofy: Like "bye-bye".

Max: Or "I pledge allegiance...".

Goofy:(chuckles) Or "I love you".

(Max and Goofy stop speaking and remain silent)

NC: When you realize, "Shit. This movie's kind of working."

NC (vo): Followed by...

(He gasps loudly, as Max is shown finishing the soup, which Goofy notices the alphabet letters in the cup spelling "Hi, Dad". Goofy, moved nearly to tears, looks at Max falling asleep)

Goofy: 'Night, Maxie.

NC:(about to cry) Excuse me. I got something in my eye. (wipes a tear away) Ah, there we go. Where was I? Oh, yeah, this scene. (bursts into tears)This scene makes me cry!

(And we go to a commercial. When we come back, we see Max, while attempting to write a letter to Roxanne, discovering Goofy's map and changing the route from Lake Destiny to Los Angeles)

NC (vo): Max starts to write to Roxanne, admitting he lied, but then realizes he can change the map to go to the concert.

(After changing the map, Max tears the letter and throws the pieces away. One of the pieces gets stuck on a tree, revealing the words "I lied")

NC: Because every kid needs their first "Oh, I get it!".

(We see a montage of Goofy and Max on their road trip, visiting various locations)

NC (vo): Unaware the map's been altered, they both compromise and visit places the other wants to see.

(Goofy and Max are shown looking at a mime performing. The mime mimics holding a rope, while Goofy mimics using scissors to cut the "rope". Suddenly, a piano falls down and crushes the mime)

NC (vo; as Goofy; chuckles): I committed abstract murder.

(We see Goofy and Max arriving at a motel called Neptune Inn, which has an underwater theme)

NC (vo): They end up at what I can only describe as the Little Mermaid's love shack... (Max is shown lying on a bed, which has living fish inside) Oh, those fish are gonna stare at Goofy's junk all night!

NC: Are there fish people in this world? I need to know how to judge this!

NC (vo): ...as Pete and PJ happen to be staying at the exact same place. Pete overhears about Max changing the map and decides to tell Goof.

(Pete and Goofy are shown relaxing in a hot tub)

Pete: I just hate to be the bearer of bad news, but...well, I heard the little mutant telling PJ that he changed the map, so...you're heading straight to LA, pal.

NC:(as Pete) On a side note, do we really not take off our gloves in the hot tub? Our world is weird, Goof.

NC (vo): Funny enough, this moment gets surprisingly uncomfortable.

Goofy:(about to leave) You know, maybe Max isn't all the things that you think a son should be, but...he loves me.

Pete: Hey, my son respects me.

Goofy: Yeah. (walks away)

NC: I'm starting to think that Pete's hiding an abusive family story we're not aware of! (Beat) Where did the wife and daughter go? (Images of Pete's wife and daughter, Peg and Pistol, from Goof Troop are shown)

NC (vo): Goofy does check the map, though, and realizes Pete was right, leading to a great scene where Goofy gives Max a chance to redeem himself by telling him the right direction.

(Goofy is about to head towards two roads, one leading to Lake Destiny and the other leading to LA)

Goofy: Left or right?

Max: Uh...

Goofy: Come on, Max!

Max: Uh...LEFT!

(Goofy's car turns left to LA, but Goofy becomes deeply angry and hurt)

NC: Most Disney movies would have this be the time where Max does the right thing.

NC (vo): But they make it a bit more interesting by still having him lie. (Goofy stops the car and walks out to sulk as Max tries to follow him) After Goofy gets fed up in one of the few quiet moments in the film, they finally open up and share their feelings...in the most cartoony way possible.

(Goofy's car is driving out of control by itself and into danger, while Goofy and Max try to chase it, all the while arguing)

Goofy: Well, you ruined the vacation!

Max: I never...wanted to go...!

NC: On the one hand, I'm kind of wishing they talked about their feelings...

NC (vo): ...at the top, utilizing that quiet moment some more. But on the other hand, talking about your feelings while tumbling down a canyon and driving through rapids feels like the way A Goofy Movie should handle this.

(Goofy and Max have now ended up in a long river on the top of their car)

Max: I've got my own life now!

Goofy: I know that! I just wanted to be part of it.

NC (vo): They blow up at each other and sit in silence while...well, there's no other way to say it...they're in a car...

(Cut to a sketch from Saturday Night Live)

Matt Foley (Chris Farley):(NC says it along with him) ...down by the river! (A laugh track is heard)

NC:(as Max) Really, we should be singing about how our car would've drowned by now and we should both be dead, but this is cool, too.

NC (vo): Speaking of death...

(The car floats toward a waterfall)

Goofy: Waterfall?!

(We are shown Goofy falling down the waterfall, but Max saves him with his fishing pole, using the Perfect Cast. They are later shown breaking into Powerline's concert)

NC (vo): Max remembers the Perfect Cast, though, and uses it to save his dad. As a way to say thanks for getting him in that situation in the first place, Goofy helps Max partake in breaking, entering, and forgetting he has a serious girlfriend for a minute. (Max is shown looking at Powerline's backup dancers walking past him) Goofy even has a little bit of a creeper moment, too.

(Goofy, while searching for Max after getting separated, goes into a dressing room with a fat woman inside getting dressed. The woman screams, as Goofy makes a weird, uncomfortable face)

NC: I don't want to know the other times Goofy has made that face.

(Goofy's weird face is shown again, once again in close-up and the haunting chorus playing)

NC (vo): Through a series of mess-ups, both Max and Goofy make their way in front of the crowd with Powerline, who, of course, just rolls with the dangerous strangers who rushed the stage.

NC: And Britney Spears asked if her intruder had a gun. (Footage of a Britney Spears concert interference is shown) She should've just danced with him!

(He dances along as Max and Goofy dance onstage with Powerline)

Powerline:(singing) If we listen to each other's heart...

NC (vo): So everyone watching, of course, sees Max and Goofy on TV.

(Roxanne and all her friends are watching the concert at their house party)

NC (vo): Goofy, of course, embarrasses him again, but this time, Max decides to roll with it and just accept who he is.

Max: Roxanne, I'd like you to meet my dad.

Goofy: Enchante, mademoiselle. (kisses Roxanne's hand)

NC (vo; as Goofy; chuckles): I killed a mime.

(The movie ends)

NC: And that was A Goofy Movie. Is it as good as people have built it up over the years?

(Footage of the movie is shown as NC gives out his official thought)

NC (vo): Honestly, I will admit, the more I watch it, the better it gets. It’s silly, of course, that is to be expected, but it also captures a lot of the excitement, insecurities and angers of being a teen as well as being a parent. Their disconnect is very believable, and neither side is necessarily wrong. It’s an identifiable connection that allows for a fair amount of laughs, as well as a fair amount of drama. Even the serious moments from Goofy, from friggin’ Goofy, are surprisingly kind of touching. Sure, it’s a product of its times, but it seems dated in the right ways, and it seems timeless in the right ways, making it enjoyably retro but also sympathetically heartfelt. Add in a touch of a cynical edge, beautifully flowing animation, and artistically pleasing backdrops, and you have a movie that tried a lot harder than it needed to, resulting in an experience that’s surprisingly still pretty damn good.